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98 Southern African Business Review Volume 15 Number 3 2011
Organisational commitment and responses to planned
organisational change: An exploratory study
C.M Visagie & C. Steyn
5A B S T R A C T11Previous research has identified
organisational commitment as a
pre-requisite to the successful implementation of
organisational
change. Change managers rely on the commitment of employees
when implementing organisational change, but organisational
commitment may decrease in response to the change. This
appeared to be the case when a South African
telecommunications
organisation embarked on an organisational change initiative
in
2008. The commencement of the change was followed by large-
scale employee resignations, suggesting a possible decline
in
organisational commitment as a result of the change.
Organisational
change is complex and is accompanied by cognitive, affective
and behavioural responses from employees, but little
research
has been conducted to show how these responses are related
to
organisational commitment. This study attempts to address
this
gap by exploring whether levels of organisational commitment
are
related to employee attitudes towards change, and whether
these
attitudes are related to the manner in which employees perceive
the
change process. Data were collected from 113 employees through
an
electronic survey. The findings indicate that affective and
normative
commitment are positively associated with change readiness,
personal and organisational valence. Change readiness,
personal
and organisational valence are, in turn, positively associated
with
employee perceptions of change communication and training.
12Key words: organisational change, organisational commitment,
personal valence,
organisational valence, change readiness
Mr C.M. Visagie and Dr C. Steyn (Senior Lecturer) are in the
Graduate Centre for Management, Cape Peninsula
University of Technology. E-mail: [email protected]
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Organisational commitment and responses to planned
organisational change
Introduction
1No organisation is immune to change. As globalisation continues
to challenge the appropriateness of current organisational
strategies, processes and structures, organisations are required to
constantly grapple with the costs and benefits associated with
change. The kinds of changes implemented could be minor, major or
transformative. Minor change is characterised by a slight
modification of the individual employees mental attitudes and
behaviours, without a shift in perception. This type of change is
said to address surface-level issues and avoids threats to deep-
seated beliefs. Transformative change, however, is characterised by
a fundamental shift in the meanings that employees attach to the
organisation and its environment (Buckley & Perkins 1984).
Despite the nature of organisational change, however, it is
generally confronted with resistance, uncertainty and fear. As a
result, many organisational change initiatives fail in spite of the
effort and money that are invested in trying to render them
successful.
Research suggests that the failure of organisational change
initiatives can generally be attributed to negative employee
attitudes towards the change (Bellou 2007; Coetsee 1999; Durmaz
2007). Unless adequately managed, organisational change initiatives
result in feelings of fear and uncertainty (Bovey & Hede 2001),
leading to increased stress, reduced levels of trust between
employees and management, and declining levels of organisational
commitment (Coetsee 1999; Schweiger & Denisi 1991).
A number of scholars have identified organisational commitment
as an essential pre-requisite to the successful implementation of
organisational change (Bellou 2007; Darwish 2000; Lau & Woodman
1995; Vakola & Nikolaou 2005: Yousef 2000). Change managers
tend to rely on the commitment of their employees when implementing
organisational change (Bennet & Durkin 2000), but levels of
organisational commitment, may, in fact, decrease in response to
the change initiatives (Lau, Tse & Zhou 2002; OReilly &
Chatman 1986). A decrease in levels of organisational commitment
during processes of change could lead to increased levels of
absenteeism and higher turnover rates (Cotton & Tuttle 1986),
further hampering the success of the change initiative.
In 2008, a South African telecommunications company (herein
referred to as Company X) embarked on a long-term organisational
change initiative, characterised by a series of mergers,
acquisitions and outsourcing activities. The commencement of these
changes initiated widespread apprehension and uncertainty among
employees of the company. According to research conducted by
Company Xs employee union, voluntary turnover at the company
increased dramatically following the implementation of the change
initiative. This suggests a possible decline in levels of
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100
organisational commitment at Company X, which might be the
result of negative employee responses to the change processes
implemented in the company.
The objectives of the study were threefold. Firstly, the study
aimed to determine whether there was a relationship between the
organisational commitment and the attitudes and behavioural
intentions that employees at Company X had developed towards the
change.
The change management literature also suggested that attitudes
towards organisational change might be influenced by the
perceptions employees develop towards change management practices
and processes. The second objective of the study was therefore to
determine whether any statistically significant relationships exist
between employee perceptions of the training and communication
strategies used by Company X during the change process and the
attitudes they developed towards the change. An understanding of
how these cognitive, affective and behavioural responses to change
are related to the various components of organisational commitment
will enable change managers to maintain and even increase levels of
organisational commitment during the change process by facilitating
meaningful adjustments to change initiatives. Recommendations on
how this could be done are included in the discussion section of
this paper.
The third objective of the research was of a more conceptual
nature. Responses to organisational change are diverse, and while
some are essential drivers of the change process, others may
seriously hamper the success of change initiatives. Most research
into employee responses to organisational change initiatives has
focused on attitudinal responses, resulting in a dichotomous
classification of responses to change as either change readiness or
resistance to change (Chreim 2006). Our research seeks to broaden
this somewhat narrow focus on change responses by proposing a
differentiated conceptualisation of employee responses to planned
organisational change. Instead of focusing exclusively on
attitudinal responses to change, we also focus on behavioural
intentions and employee perceptions of change processes and
interventions.
In the sections that follow, we present our conceptual model
along with a set of seven hypotheses developed to test the
relationships between the variables depicted in the model. We then
test each of these hypotheses using a cross-sectional survey
conducted in Company X. Our research demonstrates how various
responses to organisational change are related to one another and
to levels of organisational commitment. This ultimately provides us
with a better understanding of how change management practitioners
should focus their efforts in order to maintain organisational
commitment during times of change.
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Organisational commitment and responses to planned
organisational change
Conceptual model
1As previously mentioned, we propose a model incorporating
attitudinal, behavioural and perceptual responses to planned
organisational change. This model, depicted in Figure 1, and
subsequently referred to as the Employee Responses to Planned
Organisational Change Model, was constructed in response to the
change models developed by Schraeder (2004) and Bovey and Hede
(2001).
Perception of change processes
and initiatives
Communication
Training
Cognitive and Affective Responses
to Change
Need for change
Change Confidence
Personally Beneficial
Organisationally beneficial
Behavioural Intentions
Change Readiness
Change Resistance
Organisational Commitment
Affective Commitment
Normative Commitment
Continuance Commitment
Causal Variables Intervening variables Outcome variables
Figure 1: Employee responses to planned organisational change
model
According to our model, a distinction should be made between
employee perceptions of change processes and the subsequent
attitudes and behavioural intentions that employees develop towards
the change. This model is therefore based on the idea that the more
favourably employees perceive change initiatives and processes
(causal variables), the more favourable their attitudes, thoughts
and behavioural intentions towards the change (intervening
variables) will be, and the higher their levels of organisational
commitment (outcome variable).
Each of the variables included in our model and the hypotheses
developed to test the relationships between them will be discussed
in the following sections. For ease of purpose, we deviate from the
norm by discussing the outcome variables first, followed by the
intervening variables and then the causal variables.
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Organisational commitment: Outcome variable
1Organisational commitment is a well-researched variable in the
field of organisational studies. As a result, the conceptual
definitions of the term are numerous, but most make a distinction
between commitment to the organisation based on instrumentality,
and commitment to the organisation based on moral attachment by
virtue of a value congruence between the employee and the
organisation (Bennet & Durkin 2000). For instance, Jaros,
Jermier, Koehler and Sincich (1993) distinguish between continuance
commitment, affective commitment and moral commitment. Continuance
commitment is based on instrumentality and is characterised by
employees who feel compelled to commit to the organisation because
the monetary, social, psychological and other costs associated with
leaving the organisation are high. Affective commitment is
characterised as attachment to the organisation at the emotional
level, whereas moral commitment is characterised by the
internalisation of the goals, values and mission of the
organisation to which one belongs. Meyer and Allen (1991) offer a
similar conceptualisation of commitment, but instead of including
moral commitment as a component in the conceptualisation, they make
a distinction between continuance, affective and normative
commitment. According to Meyer and Allen (1991), these three
components are theoretically and empirically distinct.
Affective commitment is defined as the strength of an
individuals identification and involvement with the organisation.
It is characterised by a strong belief in and acceptance of the
goals and values of the organisation, a willingness to put in extra
effort on behalf of the organisation and a desire to remain a
member of the organisation (Maxwell & Steele 2003; Falkenburg
& Schyns 2007). Work experiences that are consistent with an
employees expectations and basic needs will facilitate the
development of affective commitment towards the organisation
(Stallworth 2004), and employees displaying high levels of
affective commitment will act in the interests of the organisation
even in the face of uncertainty.
Continuance commitment can be defined as the commitment an
employee has towards the organisation because of the investments
they have made in the organisation and the costs associated with
leaving the organisation (Falkenburg & Schyns 2007). These
investments could include close working relationships with
co-workers, retirement and career investments. Continuance
commitment is also strengthened by a perceived lack of employment
alternatives, which increases the cost associated with leaving the
organisation (Stallworth 2004). Employees who possess a high degree
of affective commitment will remain with the organisation because
they want to, while employees with a high degree of continuance
commitment will remain with the organisation because they have to.
Such employees may also
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Organisational commitment and responses to planned
organisational change
exert considerable effort on behalf of the organisation if they
believe that continued employment requires such performance.
Normative commitment is a form of commitment that is based on an
individuals feeling of obligation to remain with the organisation
because it is seen as the moral and right things to do (Meyer &
Allen 1991). These feelings of obligation can occur in instances
where, for example, the organisation has supported the employees
educational efforts (Williams 2004).
Commitment to the organisation on the part of the employee is
critical when an organisation engages in change initiatives, as
committed employees will provide many benefits to the organisation
undergoing change. These benefits include putting in extra effort
to ensure that the change succeeds, serving as public relations
representatives during the change and going above and beyond the
norm to assist the organisation to function effectively. It is
therefore of the utmost importance to maintain levels of
organisational commitment during times of change. In the case of
Company X, voluntary turnover increased immediately after the
introduction of the change initiative, suggesting that levels of
organisational commitment may have dropped as a result of employee
attitudes towards the change.
Attitudinal responses to planned organisational change
(intervening variables)
1Employee attitudes may be referred to as hypothetical
constructs that represent an individuals degree of like or dislike
for an item (Bagherian, Bahaman, Asnarulkhadi & Shamsuddin
2009). Attitudes towards organisational change may therefore refer
to the employees positive or negative evaluative judgments of the
change. These attitudes may range from strong positive attitudes to
strong negative ones. Change may be received with happiness and
excitement, or with fear and anger. Some employees may approach
organisational change as an opportunity for growth and improvement,
while others may associate it with instability and risk (Cochran,
Bromley & Swando 2002). These negative reactions towards change
occur because change generally causes increased pressure, stress
and uncertainty (Jones, Watson, Hobman, Bordia, Gallois &
Callan 2008). Positive attitudes towards organisational change are
critical to the success of change initiatives, as they increase
employee cooperation during the change process and prevent
resistant behaviours such as hostility and fear (Miller, Johnson
& Grau 1994; Vakola & Nikolaou 2005).
Attitudes towards organisational change can be classified as
cognitive, affective and behavioural or intentional (Piderit 2000).
Affective responses to change reflect how employees feel about the
change, while cognitive responses to change reflect
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the employees thoughts about the change. Behavioural or
intentional responses to change result from the thoughts and
judgements (cognitions) individuals have about the change and the
feelings and emotions (affects) associated with the change.
Change readiness, and its opposite, resistance to change, have
been identified as the two primary behavioural or intentional
responses to change (Armenakis, Harris & Mossholder 1993;
Armenakis, Harris & Feild 1999; Armenakis & Harris 2002;
Bernerth 2004). As a precursor to behaviours of resistance towards
or support for the change effort, change readiness has been
described as the best attitudinal predictor of commitment and
support for change. Its opposite, resistance to change, manifests
itself in a number of different ways such as an increase in
grievances, high levels of employee turnover, low efficiency,
restriction of output and aggression towards management (Benebroek
Gravenhorst 2003). This leads us to our first hypothesis, which
states: Hypothesis 1: There will be a significant relationship
between change readiness and the components of organisational
commitment.
Change readiness results from the thoughts and judgements that
individuals have about the change (cognition) and the feelings
employees have towards the change (affect). As a result, and as
reflected in our conceptual model, change readiness can only be
achieved when certain cognitive and affective attitudes are
present. For instance, readiness for change increases when
employees feel that the change is needed (need for change),
justified and appropriate.
Employees are also less likely to resist change when they feel
that some value will accrue to them as a result of the change.
While many authors refer to this as personal valence (Armenakis et
al. 1993, 1999; Dirks, Cummings & Pierce 1996), a distinction
should be made between perceptions that the change is personally
beneficial and perceptions that the change will benefit the
organisation (organisational valence). Employees who believe that
the change will benefit both themselves and the organisation are
more likely to support the change, whereas employees who do not
believe any benefits will result from the change will resist the
change effort (Jansen & Michael 2010).
Resistance to change is also less likely when employees believe
that they are able to cope with the change (Armenakis et al. 1993,
1999) and have the skills and abilities to execute the tasks and
activities that are associated with the implementation of the
intended change (change confidence) (Holt, Armenakis, Feild &
Harris 2007). As suggested by Bandura and Adams (1977), the
stronger an employees change confidence is, the more active his or
her coping efforts are. Employees whose confidence levels are low,
or whose coping efforts cease, are more likely to resist
organisational change. Our second hypothesis therefore reads:
Hypothesis 2: There will be a significant relationship between
employee attitudes towards planned organisational change and change
readiness.
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Personal and organisational valence are depicted in our model as
intervening variables, which result in either change readiness or
change resistance. We also hypothesise, however, that personal and
organisational valence will be related to organisational
commitment. Our next hypothesis states: Hypothesis 3: There will be
a significant relationship between employee attitudes towards
planned organisational change and the components of organisational
commitment.
According to our conceptual model, attitudes towards
organisational change are informed by the perceptions that
organisational members have of the change processes and activities
characteristic of planned organisational change. We therefore next
turn our attention to the causal variables in our model, namely
employee perceptions of change processes and activities.
Employee perceptions of change communication and training
(causal variables)
1Change communication and training are essential pre-requisites
to fostering healthy attitudes towards the change process. Need for
change and personal and organisational valence can be improved
through proper and effective communication of the change process.
Organisational change initiatives often fail as a result of poorly
managed communication, which results in rumours, resistance to
change and exaggeration of the negative aspects of the change
(Elving & Bennebroek Gravenhorst 2009). By communicating the
change and its associated outcomes, managers are able to enhance
personal and organisational valence for the change (Yazici
2002).
Through communication, the successes and triumphs associated
with the change are relayed to employees, fuelling change
confidence (Reichers, Wanous & Austin 1997) and enhancing
employee trust in management (Swanson & Power 2001). Similarly,
all failures and mistakes associated with the change should be
communicated to employees, as this serves to restore management
credibility and trust (Wanous, Reichers & Austin 2000). Since
trust is a physiological state comprising the intentions to accept
vulnerability based on positive expectations of intention or
behaviour of another (Rousseau, Sitkin, Burt & Camerer 1998:
124), it creates willingness among employees to engage in
risk-taking (Mayer & Davis 1999), which is often required
during times of change. Because change processes in organisations
involve both an element of risk and vulnerability, employees who
trust management are more likely to engage confidently with the
risks associated with organisational change and may, as a result,
display higher levels of change efficacy or confidence. Our next
hypothesis therefore states: Hypothesis 4: There will be a
significant relationship between employee
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perceptions of change communication and the attitudes they
develop towards planned organisational change.
By hypothesising that perceptions of change communication will
be associated with personal valence, organisational valence, change
confidence and need for change, we can also conclude that these
perceptions may be associated with change readiness. The fifth
hypothesis therefore states: Hypothesis 5: There will be a
significant relationship between employee perceptions of change
communication and change readiness.
Jones et al. (2008) suggest that social identities become
increasingly important during times of change, since individuals
are more likely to react negatively to organisational changes when
they believe that the changes will threaten valued workplace
identities (Pasmore & Woodman 2007). It is therefore important
that managers maintain a sense of identity among their employees
during times of change. This can be done by making employees feel
part of the change process and by providing them with information
regarding the change process and its associated outcomes. This
ultimately increases self-esteem and feelings of efficacy among
employees and shows them that they are valued by the
organisation.
According to Fox and Amichai-Hamburger (2001), emotional
elements can be used during change communication to enhance
employee commitment to the change. These emotional elements
mobilise and direct employee behaviour and can include the use of
pictures, colours, music and sensation (Fox & Amichai-Hamburger
2001). The use of trusted employees within the organisation to
communicate with and convince other employees of the motives behind
the intended change is also a helpful tactic (Stanley, Meyer &
Topolnytsky 2005).
Training is also an important change process that can enhance
change efficacy among employees (Chiang 2010; Schalk, Campbell
& Preese 1998). Research suggests that training employees about
the change minimises fear and uncertainty (Vakola & Nikolaou
2005). Through training, accurate information regarding the reasons
for the change, the desired outcomes of the change and the impact
that the change could have on employees and the organisation is
transferred (Kotter & Schlesinger 1979), thereby creating
beliefs about the need for the change.
Training for organisational change also stimulates feelings of
involvement among employees while simultaneously imparting to them
the skills, knowledge and competencies that they will require to
cope effectively with the change (Weber & Weber 2001). Our next
hypothesis therefore states: Hypothesis 6: There will be a
significant relationship between employee perceptions of training
and the attitudes they develop towards planned organisational
change.
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Organisational commitment and responses to planned
organisational change
By hypothesising that perceptions of training will be associated
with personal valence, organisational valence, change confidence
and need for change, we can also conclude that these perceptions
may also be associated with change readiness. The last hypothesis
thus states: Hypothesis 7: There will be a significant relationship
between employee perceptions of training and change readiness.
Research approach
1Our research employed a quantitative research methodology in
the form of a self-administered electronic survey.
Research method
Participants
1Due to financial constraints, not all employees at Company X
could be surveyed. A specific service unit within Company X was
therefore purposively selected to participate in the research. The
selection of the service unit was based on the relatively large
size of the unit in comparison to other units within Company X and
the fact that both permanent and contract employees were
represented in the specific unit. A total of 380 employees were
employed in the service unit at the time of the research, and all
were invited to participate in the survey.
The questionnaire was made available to respondents via a
web-based application that interfaced with an Oracle database. The
questionnaire was accompanied by a covering letter that explained
the purpose of the research to the participants and guaranteed
anonymity and confidentiality of participation and responses.
E-mail reminders were sent to all potential respondents every
second day in order to improve response rates.
The survey questionnaire was completed by 113 respondents,
representing a response rate of 30 per cent. Almost 63% of the
sample were male, and the mean age of respondents was 35 years.
Seventy-six per cent of respondents were contractors and technical
officers, while 24% held positions at the operational specialist
and management levels. The majority of the sample consisted of
employees in possession of a diploma (39%), followed by grade 12
(25%) or a post-school certificate (23%).
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Measuring instruments
Organisational commitment
1Levels of organisational commitment in Company X were measured
using an instrument developed by Meyer and Allen (1997). Their
instrument consists of 22 items measuring affective (eight items),
normative (six items) and continuance commitment (eight items).
Each item is measured on a seven-point Likert scale, where
1=Strongly Disagree and 7=Strongly Agree. Previous research attests
to the reliability of each of the scales, with a Cronbachs alpha of
between 0.77 and 0.88 for affective commitment; 0.65 and 0.86 for
normative commitment; and 0.69 and 0.84 for continuance commitment
(Fields 2002). As indicated in Table 1, the items displayed
reasonable internal consistencies (Nunnally 1967) in our study,
with affective commitment displaying a Cronbachs alpha of 0.75;
normative commitment displaying a Cronbachs alpha of 0.80; and
continuance commitment displaying a Cronbachs alpha of 0.61.
Perceptions of and attitudes towards organisational change
1Attitudes towards organisational change were measured using
selected items from the Readiness for Organisational Change
Questionnaire developed by Holt et al. (2007) and Durmazs (2007)
Officer Attitude Survey. Two items were selected from the Holt et
al. (2007) instrument to measure change confidence, while personal
and organisational valence were measured using six items from the
original instrument.
Change readiness, need for change and employee perceptions of
change communication and training were measured using selected
items from Durmazs (2007) instrument. All items were measured on a
five-point Likert scale where 1=Strongly Disagree and 5=Strongly
Agree.
All items were selected based on their applicability to
employees at Company X and were in some instances slightly adapted
to the Company X context.
As indicated in Table 2, change readiness, personal valence and
organisational valence scales all displayed acceptable internal
consistencies of 0.75, 0.62 and 0.88 respectively. The need for
change and change confidence scales, however, presented lower than
acceptable reliability coefficients and were excluded from further
analysis. The perceptions of change communication and perceptions
of training scales both presented good internal consistencies of
0.74 and 0.72 respectively.
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Table 1: Commitment items and associated reliability scores
Affective commitment ( = 0.75)
I would be very happy to spend the rest of my career with the
organisation
I enjoy discussing my organisation with people outside of it
I really feel as if this organisations problems are my own
I think I could easily become attached to another organisation
as I am to this one (recoded)*
I do not feel like part of the family at my organisation
(recoded)*
I do not feel emotionally attached to this organisation
(recoded)*
I do not feel a strong sense of belonging to my organisation
(recoded)*
Normative commitment (=0.80)
I owe a great deal to this organisation
I would not leave my organisation right now, because I have a
sense of obligation to the people in it
This organisation deserves my loyalty
I would feel guilty if I left my organisation now
I do not feel any obligation to remain with my current employer
(recoded)*
Even if it were to my advantage, I do not feel it would be right
to leave the organisation
Continuance commitment (=0.61)
Too much in my life would be disrupted if I decided I wanted to
leave my organisation
It would be very hard for me to leave this organisation right
now, even if I wanted to
I am not afraid of what might happen if I quit my job without
having another one lined up (recoded)*
One of the few serious consequences of leaving this organisation
would be the scarcity of available alternatives
I feel that I have too few options to consider leaving this
organisation
Right now, staying with my organisation is a matter of necessity
as much as desire
It would be too costly for me to leave my organisation right
now
One of the major reasons I continue to work for this
organisation is that leaving would require a considerable amount of
personal sacrifice another organisation may not match the overall
benefits I have here
* All negatively phrased items were recoded in the opposite
direction.
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Table 2: Perceptions of and attitudes towards change scales and
associated reliability
Change readiness (=0.75)
Organisational changes improve our organisations overall
efficiency
Our senior managers encourage all of us to embrace
organisational changes
My managers are committed to making the change effort a
success
My colleagues support organisational change efforts
Personal valence (=0.62)
When this change is implemented, I envisage financial benefits
coming my way
This change will disrupt many of the personal relationships I
have developed (recoded)*
The prospective change will give me new career opportunities
When this change is implemented, I dont believe there is
anything for me to gain (recoded)*
My future in this job will be limited because of the intended
changes (recoded)*
The intended change makes me question my future employment with
this organisation (recode)*
Organisational valence (=0.88)
I think the organisation will benefit from the change
The organisation is going to be more productive when we
implement this change
When the intended change is adopted, we will be better equipped
to meet our customers needs
This change will improve our organisations overall
efficiency
This organisation will lose some valuable assets when we adopt
this change (recoded)*
The intended change matches the priorities of the
organisation
Perceptions of change communication (=0.74)
I am thoroughly satisfied with the information I receive about
the changes in my organisation
I know how to access the necessary information about the changes
in the organisation
I believe that the information transmitted about the changes in
this organisation explains why change is needed
Perceptions of training for change (=0.72)
This organisations head office arranges seminars or workshops in
order to train personnel about the changes in this organisation
I consider myself adequately trained about the changes in the
organisation
* All negatively phrased items were recoded in the opposite
direction.
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Results
Descriptive statistics
1The mean scores and standard deviations for each of the
variables included in our conceptual model are depicted in Table
3.
Table 3: Sample means (N=113)
Variable Mean Standard deviation
Change readiness 3.47 0.76
Personal valence 2.98 0.62
Organisational valence 3.32 0.57
Perceptions of change communication 3.40 0.82
Perceptions of training for change 2.87 0.99
Affective commitment 4.40 1.20
Normative commitment 4.08 0.99
Continuance commitment 4.52 0.82
The sample means for perceptions of communication and
perceptions of training were 3.40 (SD=0.82) and 2.87 (SD=0.99)
respectively. Given that both variables were measured using a
Likert-type scale where 1=Strongly Disagree and 5=Strongly Agree,
it can be concluded that both scores reflect a slightly more
positive than negative perception of organisational change
processes and interventions. Employee perceptions at Company X
were, however, more favourable towards change communication than
they were towards training for organisational change. This may be
due to the fact that Company X scheduled regular employee
broadcasts informing employees of the progress made in terms of
change implementation.
Employees at Company X were also of the opinion that the change
was more likely to benefit the company (organisational valence)
than it was likely to benefit the individual employee (personal
valence). With a mean score of 3.32 (SD=0.57), employees at Company
X displayed moderate to favourable levels of organisational
valence. Feelings of personal valence were lower, with a sample
mean of 2.98 (SD= 0.62). This might be due to the fact that, as
part of its change process, Company X embarked on a retrenchment
programme. This might have fuelled negative sentiments among the
remaining employees regarding the extent to which the change would
benefit them.
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The sample reflects moderate levels of change readiness, with a
mean score of 3.47 (SD=0.76).
Levels of organisational commitment among respondents were
relatively moderate, given that all three commitment components
were measured on a Likert scale where 1=Strongly Disagree and
7=Strongly Agree. Interestingly, continuance commitment displays
the strongest mean score (mean=4.52; SD=0.82) of all the commitment
components. This suggests that the perceived costs of leaving the
company might be quite high for a number of employees surveyed.
This is notable, given the fact that Company X experienced higher
than normal levels of voluntary turnover during the initial stages
of the change process. This anomaly might be explained by the fact
that longer-serving employees at Company X lost a substantial
amount of money due to the decline in pension funds as a result of
the 2008/2009 economic recession. As a result, they might want to
remain with the organisation for the time being in order to recover
the losses incurred in 2008/2009; hence the generally favourable
levels of continuance commitment displayed by the sample. The
increase in turnover at Company X may be explained by the
comparatively lower levels of affective commitment (mean = 4.40: SD
= 1.20), which, according to Whitener and Walz (1993) are more
strongly related to turnover intention than continuance commitment
is.
Levels of normative commitment (mean=4.08; SD=0.99) were
comparatively low when compared with the mean scores for affective
and continuance commitment.
Relationships between causal, intervening and outcome
variables
1In order to test for relationships between the causal,
intervening and outcome variables measured in the study, the
Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient between each pair of
variables was assessed in order to identify statistically
significant relationships. Relationships were regarded as
statistically significant if p
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Organisational commitment and responses to planned
organisational change
Table 4: Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients
Variable 1 2 3 4 5
Causal
Perception of communication
Perception of training
Intervening
Personal valence 0.32** 0.19*
Organisational valence 0.39** 0.22*
Change readiness 0.52** 0.42** 0.41** 0.51**
Outcome
Affective commitment 0.38** 0.34** 0.32** 0.22* 0.43**
Normative commitment 0.43** 0.38** 0.22** 0.25** 0.50**
Continuance commitment 0.19 -0.01 0.01 0.11 0.10
* p
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Perceptions of change communication display a stronger
relationship with organisational valence (r=0.39; p
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Organisational commitment and responses to planned
organisational change
Table 5 provides a summary of all seven hypotheses tested, and
is followed by a discussion of the results.
Table 5: Summary of hypotheses
Hypothesis 1 There will be a significant relationship between
change readiness and the components of organisational
commitment.
Confirmed in the case of affective and normative commitment
Hypothesis 2 There will be a significant relationship between
employee attitudes towards planned organisational change and change
readiness.
Confirmed
Hypothesis 3 There will be a significant relationship between
employee attitudes towards planned organisational change and the
components of organisational commitment.
Confirmed in the case of affective and normative commitment
Hypothesis 4 There will be a significant relationship between
employee perceptions of change communication and the attitudes they
develop towards planned organisational change.
Confirmed
Hypothesis 5 There will be a significant relationship between
employee perceptions of change communication and change
readiness.
Confirmed
Hypothesis 6 There will be a significant relationship between
employee perceptions of training and the attitudes they develop
towards planned organisational change.
Confirmed
Hypothesis 7 There will be a significant relationship between
employee perceptions of training and change readiness.
Confirmed
Discussion
1As indicated in our conceptual model, perceptions of
organisational change interventions and activities such as training
and communication should be related to the employees cognitive and
affective reactions towards planned organisational change. The data
derived from our research confirm this, as both perceptions of
training and perceptions of change communication display
significant positive correlations with both personal and
organisational valence. Perceptions of change communication do,
however, display stronger correlations with both personal and
organisational valence than perceptions of training do. This is not
surprising, since communication is arguably the most effective tool
through which to inform employees of the benefits
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116
surrounding the change (Chiang 2010; Schraeder 2004).
Perceptions of change communication also display a stronger
correlation with change readiness than perceptions of training do.
According to Schraeder (2004), effective organisational
communication during times of change evokes perceptions among
employees that the organisation is supportive. Although our
research regrettably did not include a quantitative measure for
perceived organisational support during times of change, it could
be argued that the change communication implemented by Company X
might have fostered perceptions of organisational support, and
subsequently fostered change readiness.
Interestingly, perceptions of change communication display a
stronger relationship with organisational valence than with
personal valence. This suggests that the change communication
messages disseminated by Company X during the change process might
have been predominantly directed at relaying information about the
value of the change that could accrue to the organisation as
opposed to the value of the change that could accrue to the
individual employee. Since our study also shows that personal
valence displays a particularly strong correlation with change
readiness, it might have been prudent on the part of Company X to
direct change communication programmes at informing employees of
the personal benefits that could accrue as a result of the
organisational change.
It is important, however, that organisations should not
communicate only an idealised vision of the change process to
employees. This results in the development of unrealistic
expectations surrounding the change and consequently
disappointment. Organisations should instead communicate a
realistic picture of the proposed change, thereby enabling
employees to cope better with the proposed change and suffer fewer
disappointments (Lines 2005). This realistic portrayal of the
change might improve feelings of personal valence and
organisational valence, resulting in improved levels of change
readiness. The Realistic Change Preview (RCP) can be used for this
purpose, and is based on prior work that suggests that employees
develop more favourable attitudes towards an attitude object if
both favourable and unfavourable aspects of the attitude object are
communicated (Phillips 1998).
Our research also shows that attitudes towards organisational
change are related to both affective and normative commitment.
Personal valence displays a stronger relationship with affective
commitment than organisational valence does. According to Elias
(2009: 40), affective commitment is a psychological and individual
level variable that primarily hinges on the fulfilment of personal
needs. Normative and continuance commitment, however, are dependent
on factors external to the individual, such as social norms and the
nature of the job
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Organisational commitment and responses to planned
organisational change
market. The perceived benefits accruing to an individual as a
result of organisational change could include aspects related to
personal growth and development and would therefore have a direct
impact on the individuals emotional attachment to the organisation
in the form of affective commitment. It therefore makes sense that
personal valence would correlate more strongly with affective
commitment than with normative commitment.
Affective commitment has been regarded as the primary component
of organisational commitment due to its strong and consistent
correlations with a number of organisational and individual level
outcomes (Elias 2009). Organisations are therefore encouraged to
focus on improving, or at least maintaining, levels of affective
commitment during times of change. Given the strong correlation in
our study between affective commitment and personal valence, this
can be done by highlighting the benefits of the change to the
individual.
As expected, change readiness displayed the strongest
relationship with the components of commitment when compared to
personal and organisational valence. It also reflected a stronger
relationship with normative commitment than with affective
commitment. Normative commitment has been described as the
internalised normative pressures to act in a way that meets
organisational goals and interests (Weiner 1982: 421). According to
Meyer and Allen (1997), normative commitment is established through
socialisation experiences and organisational investments, while
affective commitment is established by creating favourable work
experiences for the employee. Normative commitment is therefore
fostered when employees feel that the organisation expects their
loyalty. The fact that change readiness correlates more strongly
with normative commitment than with affective commitment suggests
that change readiness at Company X may be underpinned by normative
pressures.
Conclusions, limitations and recommendations
1As indicated by our research, change readiness correlates
strongly with both affective and normative commitment. Since change
readiness is informed by both personal and organisational valence,
it is important that change management practitioners stimulate the
development of both organisational and personal valence among
employees during times of change. As indicated through our
research, this can be done by focusing on employee perceptions of
both change communication and training.
Due to the exploratory nature of our research and the fact that
our analysis is correlational, we are unable to establish the
direction of causality between the variables. While our
unidirectional conceptual model depicts organisational commitment
as an outcome variable, previous research has shown that
attitudes
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118
towards organisational change may also be shaped by levels of
commitment to the organisation. Further research is therefore
required to establish possible reciprocal effects between the
variables.
It should also be noted that our research was conducted just
after the initial change implementation at Company X. Further
research using a change model incorporating causal, intervening and
outcome variables would benefit from adopting a longitudinal
approach. In this way, all variables could be measured prior to,
during and after the change is implemented in order to ascertain
whether the relationships between variables observed in this study
remain consistent throughout the change process. A longitudinal
approach would also allow researchers to test assumptions regarding
the direction of causality.
The conceptual model developed at the start of this research
incorporated a number of intervening variables that could not be
included as part of the analysis due to poor internal consistency.
The poor reliability of these scales may have been due to the fact
that only a limited number of items from the original instruments
were included in our questionnaire. While we purposively limited
the number of items in our research to ensure contextual relevance
and limit respondent fatigue, future researchers are advised to
develop scales that include more items.
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